Ashlea Gardens gets a clean makeover

Ashlea Gardens gets a makeover

The Ashlea Gardens community, Tshwane metro, South African Police service (SAPS), Fedility Security Services and the local community policing forum (CPF) came out in their numbers in a campaign to decrease crime, clean up the Ashlea Gardens area and create awareness of the crime surrounding Ashlee Gardens.

The campaign began Saturday morning at the New Hope School hall, where Sakkie Naude, chairperson of the land service club, and the community rallied all stakeholders in a campaign to clean the community and decrease crime.

City councillor of ward 82, Councillor Siobhan Muller said: “This initiative has grown since last time, and more and more people are showing interest in helping their community.”

She said 200 trees were planted by the community just outside the New Hope School to help improve the neglected area.

The Brooklyn police, Tshwane metro, CPF, Fedility, municipal workers and the ward councillor were assigned areas of responsibility.

Three groups were formed, and set out to clean the area.

Sergeant Greg Dodgen of the Brooklyn police said the community effort was impressive.

Recovered in the cleaning areas were copper covers, conspicuously hidden in a ditch, rubbish that had been blocking water flowing from the lake and a woman’s purse. In the purse was her driver’s licence, her cards with the chips removed, and a picture evidently removed from her ID document.

Naude said it was likely that the purse was stolen in a smash and grab incident and chucked into the bushes once the criminals were done with it.

All waste removed from the area was collected and disposed of by municipal workers.

Children as young as four also came to do their part to get their community cleaned up.